372 Billion KRW Invested in Senior Jobs, Up 12% from Last Year
Expanding Economic Independence and Social Participation for Seniors
188 Billion KRW Budget Support for Senior Welfare Centers This Year
Up to 80,000 KRW for Dementia Differential Diagnosis and 360,000 KRW Annual Support for Affected Households
Goyang Special City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) is promoting policies to expand economic activities and social participation of the elderly in preparation for social and economic changes due to the entry into a super-aged society.
Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, visiting a single elderly person living alone. Photo by Goyang Special City
According to Goyang Special City on the 12th, the city will invest 37.18 billion KRW, about 12% more than last year, in the senior job project this year to provide 9,291 customized jobs.
The senior jobs are divided into four main areas: ▲ 6,667 public interest activity projects ▲ 1,448 career and competency utilization projects ▲ 906 profit-generating community projects ▲ 270 employment placement projects, carried out by 11 institutions including the Goyang Senior Club, Goyang Silver Workforce Bank, and Senior Welfare Centers.
In this regard, the city will continue to operate the ‘No-No (老老) Care’ program, where healthy seniors visit vulnerable elderly households to assist with daily living. Additionally, programs such as ‘Experience Transfer Activities,’ which share experience and wisdom with children and youth generations, and the ‘Food Safety Helper’ project, where seniors visit single elderly households to manage groceries, support seniors in gaining a sense of accomplishment while contributing to the local community.
In particular, the city is actively implementing private market-type senior jobs that generate profits. These include the ‘Haengju Farm’ project producing sesame oil and perilla oil certified by HACCP, and the ‘Grandmothers and Sewing Machines’ project producing and selling sewn products using sewing machines. Also, the ‘GS25 Senior Convenience Store,’ first launched by the Goyang Senior Club nationwide, expanded to a national project last year and has achieved great success.
Among them, senior participant Woo Young-ae (71 years old, Daehwa-dong) in the ‘Grandmothers and Sewing Machines’ project said she feels great fulfillment and pride by utilizing her past experience in making hanbok to create various sewn products.
As of the end of last year, the number of members at the Senior Welfare Centers was 87,278, with an average daily user count of 6,582.
Goyang City subsidizes 18.8 billion KRW (including national and provincial funds) this year to three Senior Welfare Centers in the city to help the elderly enjoy a healthy and vibrant old age.
At Deogyang Senior Welfare Center, the ‘Evergreen Broadcasting Club’ program allows seniors to participate directly in broadcasting production. Ilsan Senior Welfare Center runs the self-directed health management program for single elderly men called ‘Self-Care Body Doctor,’ and Daehwa Senior Welfare Center offers the ‘New Shoes’ talent development program for seniors in their 60s and the ‘Digital Academy’ program to enhance digital technology skills.
In addition, about 60 to 80 programs tailored to each welfare center’s characteristics are operated, covering health, lifelong education, care, jobs, and psychological and emotional support.
Community centers, operating about 10 to 15 per neighborhood, are conveniently located within villages and serve as complex cultural spaces where seniors can enjoy various leisure activities such as physical exercise, singing classes, and art education, beyond just socializing and sharing information. Currently, there are about 590 community centers operated by the city, ranking fourth among cities and counties in the province.
As of January, there are approximately 45,000 single elderly residents in Goyang City. Among them, 3,300 require care due to difficulties in daily living, and the city will invest 6.39 billion KRW this year to support care for vulnerable seniors.
Centered around 10 care institutions including Deogyang Senior Welfare Center, welfare services such as welfare checks, accompaniment for outings, and life education are provided. Smart care is also expanded using 51 AI care robots, 115 IoT safety care devices, and 1,610 emergency safety devices. Through this, in-home care and emergency situations are continuously monitored, including living environment, movement, and companionship.
Furthermore, medical services such as medical expense support and cognitive function decline prevention are provided for dementia care, which accounts for one in every 10.4 elderly people.
In cooperation with seven local hospitals and clinics, the city supports dementia cause differential examination costs up to 80,000 KRW regardless of income or assets. Additionally, for dementia-affected households with a median income below 140% (based on a three-person household monthly income of 7,036,000 KRW), medical expenses and medication costs are supported up to 30,000 KRW per month and a maximum of 360,000 KRW annually.
Since July last year, through 13 medical institutions in the city, the national pilot project ‘Dementia Management Primary Care Physician Project’ has been helping continuous health management and improving the quality of life for dementia patients.
Also, for seniors aged 65 and older who have been certified for long-term care due to geriatric diseases or dementia, 700 long-term care institutions provide services such as △ nursing home admission △ home care, bathing, nursing △ day and night care, short-term protection △ welfare equipment rental.
This year is the first year to renew the validity period of long-term care institutions under the Long-Term Care Insurance Act for the Elderly enacted in 2019. Long-term care institutions must renew their period through reassessment to continue operation. Accordingly, the city plans to establish administrative standards to ensure safer facilities and service provision conditions.
Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang Special City said, “As we enter a super-aged society, the economically active population continues to decline, making social participation of the elderly more important. We will promote multifaceted senior policies so that seniors can live healthy and vibrant lives even in old age.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
